Demos is a

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmenta ...

based in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Founded in 2000, Demos' stated mission is to "power the movement for a just, inclusive,

multiracial democracy Multiracial democracy is a democratic political system that is multiracial. It is cited as aspiration in South Africa after apartheid and as existing for the United States. See also * Cultural mosaic * Ethnopluralism * Intercultural relations * ...

." The organization's president is Taifa Smith Butler, formerly of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.

History

Founding

Demos was conceptualized in the late 1990s by

Charles Halpern Charles Halpern is a lawyer, activist, author, educator, and meditation practitioner. He also served as the founding dean of CUNY School of Law, and as a faculty member of various prominent law schools across the country. Halpern is considered a p ...

, President of the

Nathan Cummings Foundation The Nathan Cummings Foundation was endowed by Nathan Cummings (1896–1985), founder of Consolidated Foods, later renamed Sara Lee. Cummings was also a prominent art collector and supporter of Jewish causes. In his lifetime, Cummings made c ...

(1989–2000). Halpern wanted to create a counter-force to the growing influence of the many right-wing think tanks such as the

Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the presiden ...

and establish a multi-issue organization that would focus on progressive policy development and advocacy.

David Callahan David Callahan (born 1964/1965) is an American writer and editor. He is the founder and editor of ''Inside Philanthropy'', a digital media site, and Blue Tent Daily, which offers in-depth reporting on progressive organizations and the Democratic ...

, a Fellow at the

Century Foundation The Century Foundation (established first as The Cooperative League and then the Twentieth Century Fund) is a progressive think tank headquartered in New York City with an office in Washington, D.C. It was founded as a nonprofit public policy ...

, and

Stephen B. Heintz Stephen B. Heintz is an American nonprofit executive and public policy expert. Since 2001, he has served as president of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, a family foundation with an endowment of approximately $1.2 billion that advances social change ...

, Vice-President of the

EastWest Institute The EastWest Institute (EWI), originally known as the Institute for East-West Security Studies and officially the Institute for EastWest Studies, Inc., was an international not-for-profit, non-partisan think tank focusing on international confli ...

, joined Halpern in helping to found Demos. Founding board members included Arnie Miller, of Isaacson Miller, an executive search firm;

David Skaggs David Evans Skaggs (born February 22, 1943) is an American lawyer, politician and educator from Colorado. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1987 to 19 ...

, a Colorado Congressman; and future

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) *President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...

, then an

Illinois State Senator The Illinois Senate is the upper chamber of the Illinois General Assembly, the legislative branch of the government of the State of Illinois in the United States. The body was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Under the I ...

In March 2000, Demos opened its first office in New York with Stephen B. Heintz as President. In this first year, Demos' work focused on solving economic inequities and increasing civic participation by developing a more inclusive democracy. These two areas continue to be a large part of Demos' core work. In 2001, Heintz stepped down and was replaced by

Miles S. Rapoport Miles S. Rapoport (born October 15, 1949) is an American politician who served as Secretary of the State of Connecticut from 1995 to 1999. A progressive Democrat, he went on to serve as president of Demos and Common Cause. Early life and educ ...

, Connecticut legislator (1985–1995) and Secretary of State (1995–1999). In March 2014, Rapoport left Demos to become the President of

Common Cause Common Cause is a watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., with chapters in 35 states. It was founded in 1970 by John W. Gardner, a Republican, who was the former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the administration of President L ...

, a watchdog group.

Heather McGhee Heather Charisse McGhee is a New York Times bestselling author and policy advocate. She is a former president and currently a trustee emeritus of Demos, a non-profit progressive U.S. think tank. McGhee is a regular contributor to NBC News and fre ...

, formerly the Vice President of Policy and Outreach at Demos, became the organization's president. McGhee is now a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Demos. In 2018, Demos named Sabeel Rahman as the new president. In 2016 Demos fired blogger Matt Bruenig after he called the

Center for American Progress The Center for American Progress (CAP) is a public policy research and advocacy organization which presents a liberal viewpoint on economic and social issues. It has its headquarters in Washington, D.C. The president and chief executive officer ...

's president

Neera Tanden Neera Tanden (born September 10, 1970) is an American political consultant and government official who has been a senior advisor and staff secretary to President Joe Biden since 2021. Tanden previously served as president of the Center for A ...

a scumbag.

Issues

Demos was part of a settlement in a lawsuit, filed in 2005, alleging Ohio Secretary of State

Ken Blackwell John Kenneth Blackwell (born February 28, 1948) is an American politician, author, and conservative activist who served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio (1979–80), the Ohio State Treasurer (1994–99), and Ohio Secretary of State (1999–2007). ...

, Governor

Bob Taft Robert Alphonso Taft III (born January 8, 1942) is an American politician and attorney, who served as the 67th governor of Ohio from 1999 to 2007 as a member of the Republican Party. A member of the Taft political dynasty, Taft served first i ...

, and their predecessors failed to protect the fundamental rights of eligible Ohio voters to cast a meaningful ballot, as required by the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the

Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Fourteenth Amendment (Amendment XIV) to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments. Often considered as one of the most consequential amendments, it addresses citizenship rights and ...

. The settlement was binding and required the state to provide for uniformity and consistency in Ohio election procedures so that the opportunity to vote can be enjoyed equally by all Ohio citizens.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Demos (U.S. Think Tank) Civil rights organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in New York City Election and voting-related organizations based in the United States Political and economic think tanks in the United States Civil liberties advocacy groups in the United States 2000 establishments in New York City Progressive organizations in the United States